Across Pakistan, laws promise protection. In May 2025, the Parliament of Pakistan passed the Child Marriage Restraint Bill, setting the legal marriage age at 18 for all genders. Following the Islamabad Child Marriage Restraint Law’s approval, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) celebrated the milestone. Sindh raised the minimum age for girls to 18 in 2013, while Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan still largely follow the minimum age for girls at 16. Why it mattersUNICEF reports that 29 percent of Pakistani girls are married before the age of 18, and 4 percent before 15.